My thoughts on the Lemat percussion revolver

[@arthurchadwell9267]

Back about 1990, I designed a modern cartridge version of the LeMat. 9 rounds of .45 Colt around a 16 gauge. The secret? A hinged frame like the old Webley (and later H&R)...

[@VitaminCBable]

Did you finish the design?

[@alswann2702]

Best Le Mat review I've seen. It was common for Confederate cavalry to carry half a dozen revolvers and in fact Mosby's men never carried sabers and post war Federal studies found surgeons treated very few saber or bayonet wounds. A nine shot wouldn't make a difference and loading wasn't done in combat, you just transitioned to another pistol. Officer casualties including generals killed or wounded even multiple times testify to the bravery of Confederate officers who didn't hesitate to lead from the front.

[@heartoflions7138]

you nailed it...

[@deandeann1541]

The Battle of the Crater was one where to the best of my recollection bayonets were quite important.

[@jwhiskey242]

I don't know how "Common" it was for anyone to carry a "half a dozen" revolvers. One report of a dead Missouri guerilla doesn't make it "common".

[@jwhiskey242]

@@deandeann1541 only in the movie

[@deandeann1541]

There was a movie about the Battle of the Crater?@@jwhiskey242

[@cruzingpapa]

That design could be a great hiking or woods/hunting side arm. Imagine .357 cartridges around a .410 shot shell or .44 mags around a 20 gauge. Yes please take my money.

[@Lazypackmule]

The cartridge conversion in Westworld is a pretty neat piece of engineering, though they had a few different guns that they would switch between in filming and cheated some of the reloading process with a bit of good old fashioned movie magic

[@kevchard5214]

Being from the south that is my dream gun but a little above my price range for the practicality of it.

[@Rumblestrip]

The other 2 models use a pin instead of a lever to lock the barrel assembly in place. I agree with your assessment though... interesting piece, some what clumbsy. Its cartridge firing variants were gigantic too. One odd thing, the cylinder bolt locks up from the breech plate rather than the water table. As i understand it, at least with modern repros, the cap falls off the shotgun nipple frequently from recoil. If i remember correctly Mr. Lemat was a Doctor...i think an MD. Also seem to remember General Stewart carried 2...though im a bit fuzzy on that. I do see some similarities in its internals with those found in modern Rugers and many DA/SA guns... Interesting to see for sure. Definitely feels like it needed more refinement. The cartridge versions ive seen look to be worse to handle.

[@terrancecoard388]

First time seeing one up close and personal. I did not know it was a nine shot with a 20 gauge and always wondered why there was that big hole under the barrel. OMG I was waiting to see the shotgun fired!! Next time I guess. Thanks Blackie.

[@danielloder1461]

Think about a general officers needs. This is for use in case the enemy penetrates to his position. Basically overrun. There won't be time to reload. The high capacity is its advantage.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

exactly and officers are not front line troops it will be a badge of office and if he does use it it will be heavy firepower to get him on a horse and headed to safer lines

[@ronrobertson59]

I bought one some years back but I had a ton of issues with it and sold it. The rammer was lose the shotgun nipple was smaller than the cylinder nipples. For the money it was a disappointment but was still better than the Starr DA I had.

[@antiglobaljoel532]

I like the look of the Lemat. It's an interesting idea. My third great grandfather certainly didn't have one, as a private in the 3rd Battalion Mississippi State Troops - paroled at Vicksburg.

[@jwhiskey242]

The Lemat was used in the BBC TV Show "Copper" by the main character. Why a cop would want lug around this all day was never explained. As in real life a repo is pretty expensive. You can buy two or three colt clones for the price of one repop Lemat.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

they are interesting guns from a historic point of view but i would not want to go into combat with one

[@arthurchadwell9267]

Yes, a LeMat is going to cost you $1200 US or more now (2023).

[@JohnTBlock]

A lot of European cap n ball revolvers, as well. The double-action Wesley Richard's and Webleys were popular, as personal purchases.

[@bruceallen6016]

I've always been curios about the LeMat. Thumb up for the explanation.

[@charlestonjew7587]

Not the most practical revolver but simply an exquisite piece of engineering. It could be argued that with 9 (.44 Cal) rounds and a (20 Gauge) "Last Stand" option, reloading wouldn't be a problem in a 1 to 1 or even a 1 to 3 scenario because the threat would most likely be neutralized by that point but as a collection piece, just beautiful.

[@timlacy2284]

Blackie , Great Video and Outstanding Information , I only seen one in a display case back years ago . But that is the first time I've ever seen one fired . Thanks for the History Lesson . You Are The Master Woodsman and Buschcrafter. Thanks Again for your sharing your time and knowledge and passing on the craft. Tim L.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rwl8150]

I got one of these on clearance from Cabela's years ago. I need to take it out and finally shoot it. It is a work of art.

[@rwl8150]

I have learned a lot from your video.

[@BlueKnightXXV]

A LeMat was used by "The Swedish Champion" Gutzon (Sven-Ole Thorsen) in "The Quick and The Dead", with Gene Hackman & Sharon Stone... includes a short loading sequence.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

yep saw that it was a good close up

[@BogeyTheBear]

Trying use a massive gun like the LeMat in a quick-draw competition was not a good idea for The Swede.

[@stevenkuntryjones690]

Always loved the Lemat

[@kylec166]

Wow packing some serious fire power

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

it does have that

[@tomritter493]

I heard of 36 cal over 16 and 32 bore man it does have the cool factor and Bunny gun .id love to see that 20 go off and the pattern on it

[@P61guy61]

Thumb up before I watched it. Thank you for posting

[@briarsmoke6046]

Man, what a hand cannon! Impressive.

[@blksubiesti]

Giving guns as gifts seems like something worth bringing back to current day 😂😂😂

[@jerrydonquixote5927]

I'd like to have one of those productions! Well I understand that's one of the guns that bloody Bill Anderson and Frank andJesse James and that crew used! For the way they fought got in and did their damage usually they had two or three guns a piece Jesse's famous photo you can see he has his battle vest with three pistols mounted on it I believe they were Colts but that's how they went up against thousands of Northern soldiers was just pure firepower they'd have 18 shots of peace they getting there on horseback and bushwacked the hell out of them Northern soldiers and get the hell out, if they had a Lamat they can have up to 20 shots with three pistols if only one of them was a Lamat. Thanks for the video it's very interesting to see one up close and see it shot!

[@kylec166]

This is very interesting never heard of this gun before

[@P61guy61]

Watched it, loved it. Excellent video Blackie.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@daveyjoweaver6282]

What a great video about a very amazing gun Blackie! May be not practical in war but amazing nonetheless. And Thanks to You and your friend. This gun would be a great addition to any collection but really its all about history and all those Soldiers who fought so hard. Kind Thanks and Many Blessings! DaveyJO in Pennsylvania

[@lawson9102]

I have always thought the Le Mat was a cool weapon Thank you for the review

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

my pleasure

[@thomashawkins9380]

I have one. I had same problem with shotgun. It was my impression that the hammer with the pivot tip just was too close and couldn’t develop enough momentum to fire the cap. I eventually got it to work but wouldn’t consider it reliable in the least. My loading lever actually bent in use from the very first time I loaded the gun so I too would only have that for decoration. But I don’t quite understand why you wouldn’t consider this gun viable in combat (excluding the shotgun) as any other c & b would be. I can’t see reloading any of these, Colt or Remington included, in the middle of a fight so I would think reloading time irrelevant.

[@Newtire]

There was a TV Western out when I was a kid named Johnny Ringo where the hero had a six-shooter with a .410 barrel. Trouble was, each show was the same. Also, it was the only cowboy show where the six shooter didn’t shoot 25 or 30 shots! The bad guys would always count the six shots and then stand up. Even though he would explain how he had a shotgun barrel left to shoot, the bad guys (being stupid like all bad guys on TV were) would try to shoot him. His .410 would spread out the pattern enough to blow them both off their feet at about 10 ft. distance.

[@jw-sigp2258]

Great video. You made some great points. Id definitely rather load that cylinder off of the revolver. Probably will get a lemat at some point.

[@greywuuf]

Would love to see a review on the savage. The "self" cocking thing always intrigued me. Also the reliability was reportedly quite high.

[@terryholloway9930]

Wanted to know about this gun thanks for a job well done thank you

[@danbartelt3184]

Excellent video! Top notch information as always. And a cool piece to boot. The LeMat is just a really cool looking design. Even if it wasn't all that reliable, it carries an intimidation factor that had to add to the effect when it was drawn on someone.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

Agreed!

[@nunyabidniz2868]

The modern version in .45 [nominally '.44] is like the Colt 1851 Navy in .44: an anachronism w/ no historical precedent. The full size LeMat revolvers of the Civil War period were .40 [maybe .42? My remembry is borked] bore, while the Baby LeMats [precious few made] were of the common .36 [what we call .38 today] caliber. If you look at the cylinders of the modern LeMat reproductions [all made by Pietta, fwiw] you see thin chamber walls, impossibly so with the metallurgy of the day; the modern repros can only get away w/ the .45 holes in the cylinder because of the far superior modern steel available today, w/o the inclusions and other flaws that would have been commonplace a century and a half ago... Just a clarification to your otherwise excellent presentation, Mr. Thomas! The differences btw the modern [Pietta] Cavalry, Army & Navy are in the trigger guard, the hammer (how it alters to fire the shotgun barrel) and most importantly, the retention catch that secures the barrel to the frame. That little flip-down number on the Cavalry model eventually , inevitably drops under recoil [for more info, see Mike Belleveau's (sp?) Duellist1954 channel] while the Navy model has the best combo of hammer and retention method [but typically co$t$ more than the Cavalry model, so doesn't sell in as great of #s.]

[@Squib1911]

Good video. On the original LeMat the quality of iron used for the loading lever might have contributed to it breaking easily. In my experience with the modern reproduction using modern steel it feels more flimsy and fragile than what it really is. I don't shoot mine every day, but it still has the original loading lever on it after 22 years and even getting hit once during a chain fire. I do keep a spare lever assembly, as well as other parts, for the revolver though.

[@rwl8150]

Would love to see you review the Howda.

[@hamm6035]

A beautiful gun. Almost bought one a few years back. Hahaha 😎

[@MyTv-]

Shows that “Tacticool” is as old as man!

[@stacysparks8588]

Love your channel. I've been a subscriber for a while now. You may want to rethink your statement about Generals not fighting in the Civil War. I can name a dozen right off the top of my head that were killed in action or wounded. J.E.B Stuart, and Stonewall Jackson come to mind immediately. Thanks for all the great info though. I've learned a lot about bushcraft from your channel.

[@MyTv-]

@@stacysparks8588 , Hey, think you wanted to post in the main tread and not as a comment on my post? Happens easily, done it myself! :)

[@slingshotwarrrior8105]

It's a nice pistol, I wouldn't pick it for field use but it still has some power. Have you seen my archery and slingshot shooting video?

[@SIXPACFISH]

Anti-seize is your friend! Use it on everything!

[@James-dq3jo]

In another video you pointed out how the original caps were practically just tinfoil Maybe it would work better with a softer cap? I wonder if that is also related to why it is so difficult to click the hammer face into shotgun mode, they were attempting to increase resistance to folding up, to set off a modern cap better? (If so maybe design needs a little more work) Could see adapting this idea slightly to help eject spent caps, but I don’t think there’s much of a market for innovations based on historical firearms…

[@macktheknife3256]

Isn't the shotgun ram also the load lever extension? The ram extends the load lever above the barrel and multiplies the force for loading the bullets or balls into the cylinder. Give that a try, it is much more efficient as designed.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

trust me when you are holding the shot gun rammer in your hand it does not give the impression of strength it feels like it will bend easy

[@brendanthomas9718]

Hello everyone! Awesome vid btw! I was wondering if anyone in the black powder community is familiar with (Connecticut Valley Arms) mfg i have found very little info on their BP pistols they use to make apparently they dont make them anymore!? I have one that appears to be a Colt 1860 army .44 and it was in very rough condition, it seemed to be locked up due to rust or black powder fouling i cleaned it up and its freed now it needs parts replaced i can tell! My ?s are how can i tell if it would be safe to fire once all damaged parts are replaced? and what would cause the cylinder to miss align with the hammer when cocked to fast? Any any info regarding CVA black powder pistols! Any ? Plz feel free to ask!

[@arthurchadwell9267]

CVA was a good company back in the day... Sadly, the only way to be certain the frame and barrel is intact is to have a smith inspect it. He may have toagna-flux it....

[@57WillysCJ]

Always wondered about the LeMat. Didn't think it was suitable Grunt weapon. As a side note by the time the Federal cavalry actually got up to speed and were fully supplied with weapons, they were doing dismounted actions. There is a army circular from the Secretary of War June 9 1864 that said the sabre/saber could either be despensed with or left on the horse fastened to the sturrip leather. They wanted them back to being mounted infantry. Basically they realised the the sabre was useless in the wooded areas. At the beginning of the war they were supposed to only gaurd the artillary but had no long guns to do it. The Federal troops were not as well equiped as some make out early in the war. Interestingly an experienced trooper could fire as many rounds as a trooper with a Spencer.

[@emeteriosilva6901]

Hola Amigo .me puedes decir que N° de capsula de percusión fulminante usa el Le Mat...???

[@emeteriosilva6901]

Hola Mr. Blackie. Si yo tuviese que modificarle algo a este Revolver le hubiese eliminado la rosca de paso fino tallada en la punta del cañon inferior que sostiene al cañon superior por una multiple de 3 o 4 entradas con un paso mas largo y rápido de desenroscar , como para ahorrar tiempo en desmontarlo con 2 o 3 vueltas para cambiar el tambor servido por otro cargado. En cuanto a la palanca de carga que parece su talón de Aquiles , y observando varios videos en que se suelta de su posición con el retroceso del disparo y mas aun cuando se usa el cañon inferior . Yo la usaría cuando sea necesario de no contar en el momento de un acsesorio tipo prensa para cargar el tambor fuera del arma como una que usa un Sr. De nombre Mike Duelist1954 para cargar el tambor de uno de estos en un video. que es de armazon de aluminio con una simple palanca, Por eso mi idea es tener varios tambores listos y solo empistonarlos al momento de usar en el campo de tiro. Es un revolver fascinante por su hermoso diseño Europeo ,cadencia de tiro y su cañon inferior de escopeta que lo convierte en un arma de multiproposito tanto para defenza ,caza y deporte. Yo tengo encargados dos de estos model Cavalry a la empresa Taylor por intermedio de una Armería local de aca de Santiago de Chile 🇨🇱que me van a llegar en Septiembre mas o menos... Saludos desde Chile...🇨🇱🇨🇱🇨🇱👍👍👍

[@barrycartner3855]

Well done. Off topic question. Were pistol powder flasks carried on belts or in pockets when carried ?

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

mostly pockets but i have seen a few made for a belt often a saddle bag for the saddle horn was tasked with reloading gear

[@badas45]

"Assault revolver" ? With 10 shots it should still be CA legal

[@arthurchadwell9267]

Having both uniforms, leather gear, weapons, etc so you can play both sides used to be called "galvanizing". (It was also referred to by the politically incorrect as "cross dressing"! )

[@82c10]

$1,448 right now and in stock on Taylors and co..pretty pricey for a black powder revolver. Could almost buy a colt saa for that coin

[@chickensandwich1589]

19:22 Big no no! Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

[@concretecowboy8174]

Thnxs

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

your welcome

[@Bucky1836]

Extra info for Lemats 🤓kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIKQpnyDp9-oY5Y

[@Bucky1836]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXvLdGZ-Zdilh7s

[@bretjohnson6188]

So what load did you finally end up with? Oops! Wrong place!

[@dudearlo]

Nice :D

[@bretjohnson6188]

What load did you finally end up with?

[@CherokeeTwilight]

Blackie do you own any conversion cylinders? Do you like em?

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

i do not i do have a 1871 richards mason conversion which isa modern built uberit its a 1860 set up to shoot 45colt

[@ashdex12]

When you have to apologize for the costume, you lose me.

[@sailingmaster]

Is this the March percussion revolver class video?

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

nope it is just a video for the followers the next class will be on 1860 army and my thoughts on loads

[@mikepoteet1443]

After missing 9 times you still have a 20ga. Shot to kill the snake.

[@agenturawubekistanie]

Complex

[@EatDrinkHere]

Is this the very style revolver that Alec Baldwin used? Very cool looking guns!

[@paltryicons4610]

Hefty reenactor. Been guarding the victual wagon a little too closely?

[@woodsinme]

Good stuff. Don't get this everywhere.

[@TonyYork-KB9RAO]

First time I have saw one of these things field stripped, although I think the gun is ugly and dont care for it, (Remington fan), I will admit that it is a clever design.

[@JamesWareAmendment2]

The best way to remember how to properly pronounce "Cavalry" is to note that the word is frequently abbreviated to "Cav." Please don't get lazy and pronounce it as "Calvary," which is the place where Jesus was crucified.

[@DonnellPrince]

Classic, I’ll stick with my S&W Governor

[@robertlast3052]

9 out of 10 times, civil war cavalry fought dismounted. Rarely did cavalry go saber to saber by 1860, that's a Hollywood misconception.

[@Matzah1982]

Stonewall Jackson carried a LeMat

[@wis1024]

I wish civil war reenactments were a bigger thing up here in the north. We won for crying out loud and we dont even really celebrate it..... we have some in the freat lakes area but not enough lol

[@arthurchadwell9267]

Back in the 90s, I did CW reenactments. Most northern states preferred Revolutionary War reenactments -- when THEY were the underdog rebels fighting to free themselves. There were a few though-- Neshaminy in Pa, for example.

[@mattbachman5291]

Awesom for cleaning

[@jeffreysmith8735]

Hi Blackie, love your channel and just subscribed! Don't you think it's about time to do a segment on personal hygene? Really,... 99% of "common people" couldn't take a crap in the woods without F#$cking it up...will you PLEASE show us how it's supposed to be done?! I trust you have the guts and experience to pull it off without offending the snow flakes.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

i did back around 2010 or 11 i think might need to revisit

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnypnHZnp72HoMU

[@deangoff8001]

Nice job guys, cringe moments when he kept rubbing it on his belt buckle .lol

[@jeffreysmith8735]

Canadian prepper made his mark w/toilet paper tabs...what do you do when they aint in yer kit?

[@JoeMac1983]

Those are the ugliest looking guns. Awesome review though.